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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:04 pm Post subject: Que. for Russians: What do you think of the United States? |
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Being a Russian immigrant here in the US, I was always curious to know how Russians perceive America. It seems to me that in Russia, the view of the US is a combination of admiration (for wealth, movies, products) and hate (foreign policy, perception of Americans as dull and not very bright). Also, America is viewed as this bully that wants to take over the world. And that affects Russia's sensibilities as a world power that used to be great - i.e., some kind of envy is in play here.
If you live in Russia today, what do you think about the US? |
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Vic
Talk Show Host
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
Posts: 298
Location: Moscow, Russian Federation
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| Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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I would say that most here think that the majority of americans are unintelligent people. The majority of the people who I talked to also think that the US is two-faced (russian word - Лицемер) with the policies. (Just one person I talked to today said (commenting on your Secretary of State's irrisponsible statement regadring Russia, the G8 and the Ukrainian gas scandal) "So a country selling gas at market prices is not worthy of the G8 but one that invades a country and kills it's inhabitants is?"
One a lighter note, alot of the people I talk to think that your movies are entartaining.
Vic |
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gonethesun
Frequent Guest
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Exeter, NH
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| Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:27 am Post subject: |
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Not to get you off topic, but the G8 has to do with economics ... and has nothing to do with foreign invasions. So there is nothing hypocritical in that.
The Group started as a response to the 1970s oil crisis, so it is logical that Russia playing "Soup Nazi" with natural gas exports would be seen as questionable. Particularly as they were only invited into the economic group in the early nineties |
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laven
Frequent Guest
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:47 am Post subject: |
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stereotypical russian opinion of americans is that they are unintellegent, overweight, material, earth-fed, hard-working, organized, reliable (at work) and insincere. american women as well as british and german are considered not particularly attractive.
these stereotypies have nothing to do the cold war they are made due to many stories (including on the internet and tv) about americans from the russians who live or came back from the states in the 90..
that doesnt mean that if you go to russia most people would look down on you or wouldnt let you in bars and other public places just like in france. most people are still quite curios about americans in particular and foreigners in general.
from personal experience i can say the americans i met travelling abroad were much more polite, well-behaviored and cleaner than most europeans from both east and west europe. but not many people in here would believe me:) |
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5_Zvehzda
Moderator
Joined: 08 Oct 2004
Posts: 347
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:13 am Post subject: |
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| laven wrote: |
from personal experience i can say the americans i met travelling abroad were much more polite, well-behaviored and cleaner than most europeans from both east and west europe. but not many people in here would believe me:) |
But this is believable, laven . . . Where are you from - and what places have you travelled? Based on my travel excursions half-way around this world to Russia and central Europe in late summer of '05, I'd say there's some truth to your last statement. Unfortunately, the stereotype of naive, loud-mouthed, obnoxious tourists who are unappreciative of the local culture have always been associated with visitors from the U.S. Sadly enough, this has almost become acceptable as the 'norm' in the travel industry . . .
However . . .
What I witnessed during my trip was an eye-opener many times. Instead of seeing groups of American tourists bustling together, screaming for directions, acting selfish and generally being 'rude' to the locals, I had observed something else completely opposite . . .
Plenty of other nationalities (of which I won't mention) were behaving Far worse.
Unbelievably worse.
So, just relax . . . future U.S. visitors to Europe and beyond. You are certainly not the only type of tourists who 'misbehave' and insult the local population.
Trust me, you are becoming the minority . . . compared to the way any of those tossers act when they go abroad. |
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vorteks
VIP
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 571
Location: European Union
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:41 am Post subject: |
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| laven wrote: |
that doesnt mean that if you go to russia most people would look down on you or wouldnt let you in bars and other public places just like in france. |
I d be curious to hear about your personal experiences that allow you to conclude that the most visited country in the world (8 times more tourists per capita than the usa) and first destination for asyleum seekers would be unwelcoming to foreigners.  |
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laven
Frequent Guest
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:31 am Post subject: |
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| vorteks wrote: | | laven wrote: |
that doesnt mean that if you go to russia most people would look down on you or wouldnt let you in bars and other public places just like in france. |
I d be curious to hear about your personal experiences that allow you to conclude that the most visited country in the world (8 times more tourists per capita than the usa) and first destination for asyleum seekers would be unwelcoming to foreigners. |
ive heard from three different american people that they were not allowed to enter some bars and eating places in france, simply because of their nationaility. (the same in china with japanese) im not saying france is unwelcoming to foreigners btu what i described happens sometimes. you cannot deny antiamericanism is quite strong in france as well as in russia. thats why i mentioned that. |
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laven
Frequent Guest
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:48 am Post subject: |
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| 5_Zvehzda wrote: | | laven wrote: |
from personal experience i can say the americans i met travelling abroad were much more polite, well-behaviored and cleaner than most europeans from both east and west europe. but not many people in here would believe me:) |
But this is believable, laven . . . Where are you from - and what places have you travelled? Based on my travel excursions half-way around this world to Russia and central Europe in late summer of '05, I'd say there's some truth to your last statement. Unfortunately, the stereotype of naive, loud-mouthed, obnoxious tourists who are unappreciative of the local culture have always been associated with visitors from the U.S. Sadly enough, this has almost become acceptable as the 'norm' in the travel industry . . .
However . . .
What I witnessed during my trip was an eye-opener many times. Instead of seeing groups of American tourists bustling together, screaming for directions, acting selfish and generally being 'rude' to the locals, I had observed something else completely opposite . . .
Plenty of other nationalities (of which I won't mention) were behaving Far worse.
Unbelievably worse.
So, just relax . . . future U.S. visitors to Europe and beyond. You are certainly not the only type of tourists who 'misbehave' and insult the local population.
Trust me, you are becoming the minority . . . compared to the way any of those tossers act when they go abroad. |
im russian of course.
ive traveleld alot around se asia and eastern europe. and should say that all the russian stereotypes about europeans (as cultured ones) and americans (as rude and loud) dont have a shade of the thruth. i dont agree with the american foreign policy but the people are fine.
nobody is a beautiful angel but americans in general behave better than west europeans, russians, east europeans, chinese, etc.
the brits shoked the most they are even worse than us:) |
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vorteks
VIP
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 571
Location: European Union
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| laven wrote: |
ive heard from three different american people that they were not allowed to enter some bars and eating places in france, simply because of their nationaility. (the same in china with japanese) im not saying france is unwelcoming to foreigners btu what i described happens sometimes. you cannot deny antiamericanism is quite strong in france as well as in russia. thats why i mentioned that. |
That s what I thought, you didnt experience it directly. There is no more anti usamericanism in France than anywhere else in the world since 2003, but there is certainly a strong distrust in Bush deadly amateurism in international policies.
I was refused entrance in a two steps dancing in Texas (i was in shorts), it wont lead me to jump to xenophobic conclusions, when you travel abroad, you need to learn about local codes. The "liberty fries" and french demeaning jokes campain developed in 2003 would on the other hand convince me much more of the narrowmindedness of the most influencable stake of the us american population. |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4919
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:02 am Post subject: |
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| vorteks. Well said. Sometimes the west is a little full of itself |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:42 am Post subject: |
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| yorbcbud wrote: | | vorteks. Well said. Sometimes the west is a little full of itself |
Because the west is right most of the time. The history will show again that it was right in this, current conflict. But who will believe me at this time? |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4919
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:28 am Post subject: |
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| Vitalsigns. Are you fishing for the strangely absent Dowling? I noticed that every time I see that pic of yours, the smile is a little wider. |
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laven
Frequent Guest
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:46 am Post subject: |
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vorteks, i couldnt experience it myself coz im russian. ok?
are you french?
if so and my post hurt your patriotic feelings - sorry then! french people are the worlds most friendly nation towards foreigners especially ameriacns, happy now?
shorts and nationality are definitely the same thing.
Last edited by laven on Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:48 am Post subject: |
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| yorbcbud wrote: | | Vitalsigns. Are you fishing for the strangely absent Dowling? I noticed that every time I see that pic of yours, the smile is a little wider. |
No. The thread is What do russians think of the US. I am Russian and I am just telling what I think about the US. The Europe will wake up soon too. They are always a century behind on everything. Tolerance is good when you have people who want to be tolerant in return. What's happening now in the world cannot be dealt with by being tolerant. Russians have a good saying: "Против лома нет приема против лома нужен лом". Simple but to the point.
Hippies rule! |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4919
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:53 am Post subject: |
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| Vitalsigns, you think the Iraq war is right and that Bush is doing the right thing? |
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